Troubled US chipmaker Intel faced a new obstacle, with the Cyber Security Association of China accusing it of not revealing security vulnerabilities in its CPUs and calling for a thorough review of its products.

In a statement on Weixin, the Chinese version of WeChat, the association recommended a network security review of Intel products sold in China to “effectively safeguard China’s national security and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese consumers”.

The association claimed multiple vulnerabilities were identified in its CPUs as well as high failure rates, and suggested the company did not respond to customer complaints, citing data from a class action lawsuit by five parties in the US.

Intel also covertly installed remote management features to monitor server activity, alleging hidden backdoors “jeopardise network and information security”, the association added.

China accounted for about a quarter of Intel’s annual revenue of $54.2 billion in 2023.

The company’s share price has dropped since it booked a $1.6 billion net loss in Q2 and announced plans to cut 15,000 jobs.

Industry insiders see the claims as retaliation against the company, which the association said restricted supplies to domestic companies Huawei and ZTE.

In July, the US government revoked export licences allowing Intel to ship goods to Huawei, with eight permits impacted by a Department of Commerce mandate.